Reach for the sky

They reinvented the wheel when they came up with the London Eye. Now the architects behind it have done the same with the observation tower.

Marks Barfield Architects has gone back to the drawing board and come up with a design for a 150 metre (492ft) steel spire for what the firms hopes will be its latest triumph.

The needle-thin tower, 4 metres in diameter, will carry a single observation capsule which will be slowly raised and lowered. It will take 20-30 minutes and provide 360-degree panoramic views for the 100 people inside.

An illuminated beacon on top of the spire will guarantee an eyecatching impact.

The design, called the i-360, could become reality within two years if Marks Barfield wins planning permission.

But where would it be put? David Marks, half of the husband-and-wife design team, is playing his cards close to his chest.

"We are looking at three cities or towns in the UK," he said. "We are pretty confident we will build the first one in Great Britain."

He continued: "This is about taking the Eye experience to new places. Just about everybody enjoys taking the Eye for the views - it is a delight to the eye and to the intellect, and there is a beauty to looking over the city and the countryside."

The idea for a new landmark came after Marks Barfield was inundated with requests from around the world for replicas of the Eye, which celebrates its fifth birthday today.

The Eye was designed to cope with up to four million visitors a year, and few cities could guarantee such numbers.

Instead, Mr Marks dreamed up an attraction that would suit a smaller city and still be a landmark - an observation tower.

The spire would be taller than the 135metre Eye, which has had 18 million visitors since it opened. It would cost ?10 million compared with ?65 million for the Eye, which will remain on the South Bank until at least 2027.

"This would be a fantastic way to give people the same kind of experience as the Eye," said Mr Marks.

But what to call it? The Doughnut on a Spear, perhaps? Or the Super Spire?